Healthy Blog Reviews

Last week Yahoo sent a letter to their search advertisers about a rather large window for when they can anticipate the integration of bing . In a post yesterday on the Yahoo blog they went a little further and said that they were currently testing the results. Here is what they said We’ve started testing organic (also referred to as algorithmic) and paid search listings from Microsoft for up to 25 percent of Yahoo! Search traffic in the U.S. The primary change for these tests is that the listings are coming from Microsoft. However, the overall page should look the same as the Yahoo! Search you’re used to – with rich content and unique tools and features from Yahoo!. If you happen to fall into our tests, you might also notice some differences in how we’re displaying select search results due to a variety of product configurations we are testing. Here is the screenshot of a page and the ‘changes’ that have occurred. To the untrained eye (and even the trained one) noticing this difference is well, next to impossible unless you had memorized the result set returned by Yahoo. I doubt that happens much. Since 25% isn’t a real large number your chances of seeing this out in the wild is not so strong. Also, unless you are an advertiser or you are a previously high ranked organic site in the Yahoo results this ‘change’ won’t even be noticed. Interestingly enough, this entire change over from Yahoo to bing search is quite disruptive to the industry side of the coin while probably going completely unnoticed by the vast majority of Yahoo search users. So now that we are on the cusp of this ‘historic moment’ how do you really view this play? Will bing being the back end of Yahoo search make a difference for those who use Yahoo as a search engine? Will regular users notice and are they even aware that this tectonic shift has happened? From the little guys’ point of view this is a non-event as long as the search function in Yahoo is not interrupted at great length. This shift effects 13 or so out of a hundred searchers according to the latest search shares . The real impact is to the advertisers and until they squeal this is going to be a non-issue in my book.

Tags: book, difference, event-as-long, industry, integration, look-the-same, Microsoft, screenshot, Search, search-engine, the-advertisers, untrained, Yahoo
Posted July 21, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media

When Twitter finally got to the point where it realized that there needed to be a next step (whether they felt ready or not they were told they were ready by everyone and their brother) they turned to deals with the search engines. It’s a rite of passage for businesses t reach the level where they can even be thought of as a viable source of information that the engines would actually pay to have. It appears as if foursquare is about there already. The Telegraph has the scoop Speaking exclusively to The Telegraph, Dennis Crowley, Foursquare’s co-founder, said that his company was in talks with “everyone” in the search space – including all three major players: Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft about a data partnership. “Our data generates hugely interesting trends which would enrich search,” Crowley said. We can anonymise data and use it to show venues which are trending at that moment. Twitter helped the world and the search engines know what people are talking about. Foursquare would allow people to search for the types of place people are going to – and where is trending – not what.” Whether or not you are buying into the ‘check-in’ craze this is important to marketers since foursquare is showing signs of taking off. It recently reached the 2 million account plateau just three months after it had hit the 1 million mark. We have seen this kind of hockey stick adoption rate in the past so it is best for foursquare to strike while the iron is hot. Of course, any deals with the engines are gambles because of the fear that the location based game is still very wide open and plans by social giants like Facebook and Google themselves could put a dent in the idea that foursquare could dominate the space. Right now its biggest threat is Gowalla but this space is so new and is developing so rapidly that there could be an unknown lurking in the bushes that could come in and do something different. In fact, one of the concerns about the whole location based craze right now is just what can be done AFTER someone checks in and gets excited about being the mayor of a place that they are visiting. Foursquare is making strides in this area which will likely determine just how far they can go in the future. For now though it’s all good as Crowley says about his current competition “We are more social than Gowalla and ultimately have different visions moving forward. They are excited about different things.” So this will be worth keeping an eye on as more and more elements of search move away from the traditional blue text link. Real estate on the first page of SERP’s (search engine results pages) for anything with a location element are already crowded with maps and seven packs and more. It sure will keep the SEO community on its toes as it tries to keep pace with the change and figure out just what a search result is going to look like in certain circumstances in the very near future. Where are you on the geo-location craze? Are you active? Passive? Waiting to see what happens? Let us know where you are at .

Tags: cloud-computing, cloud-hosting, dennis crowley, engines, facebook, Local/Mobile, location, mayor, Microsoft, Search, search-engine, seo, Social
Posted July 19, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media

With all of the iPhone mania raising antennae all around the tech journalism world it’s almost so deafening that one is tempted to try to duct tape the press. Wait, that wouldn’t be right because Consumer Reports has made duct tape cool and journalists are not cool (but bloggers are, right?). Anyway, we wanted to help you with all the rumors that are flying around regarding the iPhone 4, Apple and this whole international incident of intrique. Here we go. Duct tape sales in the US are soaring Apple has taken so much abuse because they haven’t come out and officially said anything that they now must come out and officially say something this Friday Apple is busy breeding extremely small hamsters that will power antennae boosters added to the phones. These hamsters will be available as quickly as science and cloning will allow, so hold tight. A Microsoft executive has said publicly “iPhone 4 might be their [Apple's] Vista. And I’m OK with that.” Dropped FaceTime ‘calls’ have caused the divorce rate to skyrocket as high tech husbands and wives alike think that their spouse hung up in their face. People have forgotten that it’s poor wifi connections that have actually caused these troubles but they don’t seem to care. At least four divorce claims have cited ‘irreconcilable iPhone issues’ as the cause of the action. As of July 14, Apple stock has taken a 7 % dip since ‘iPhone 4 Gate’ hit the airwaves. Apple fanboys storm Consumer Reports headquarters and develop nasty apps that distort the shape of the Consumer Reports logo. All three protesters were picked up by their parents and returned home. Mysterious memos about support techniques have been reported but then not mentioned since they were ‘leaked’ by a ‘dependable’ source to an industry ‘insider’. Of course, only a few of these rumors have truly come to light. We hear that Steve Jobs is walking around his house creating a mad scientist laugh as his master plan to steal Google’s quarterly report thunder is working like a charm but this is both completely unsubstantiated and a little creepy. So what other rumors have you heard? We need to know! Leave them in the comments so we can be part of the in-crowd as well. Please! Inquiring minds want to know and we really don’t care if the rumors have a shred of truth in them! No one else seems to care at this point either so why should we!? Pilgrim’s Partners: SponsoredReviews.com – Bloggers earn cash, Advertisers build buzz!

Tags: Apple, around-the-tech, consumer, divorce, Friday, Microsoft, press, tape-the-press, tech
Posted July 15, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media

There are few areas of any ‘traditional’ communications outlets anymore that are just that outlet alone these days. In fact, finding a standalone product that doesn’t integrate with your Facebook account, for instance, is becoming more rare. Now you can add Microsoft’s Outlook to that list as Facebook integration is complete and being rolled out according to Mashable Microsoft is announcing today that it has integrated Facebook and Windows Live Messenger into Outlook, bringing the streams of millions of Facebook users into inboxes across the world. Last year, Microsoft launched Outlook Social Connector, a plugin that syncs social networking feeds with your Outlook contacts, giving you immediate data on what they are doing and thinking. It started last year with LinkedIn integration, but soon the company announced MySpace and Facebook were coming. Today, Outlook completes the cycle with not only Facebook integration, but support for Windows Live Messenger as well. Not only that, but the company is releasing the plugin for Outlook 2003 and 2007 users as well, bringing Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Windows Live Messenger to millions of business and personal inboxes worldwide. As with anything that has layers of information it is best to see the video version of the explanation be sure to check it out over at the Mashable site. Here is a look at a screen shot as well. Here’s my take. I don’t use Microsoft Outlook anymore so obviously this is not directly impacting me. I did use it in the past, however, and there’s reason to think that there could be another time in the future. Having said that I am pretty ambivalent on the whole e-mail and social integration craze. Google has tried it and it’s not going so well. That doesn’t mean this won’t work but at what point is enough enough? E-mail for me is more of a business function than it is a social one. Of course, the idea of having more information about who you are e-mailing could produce something of use but fighting through the clutter to find it takes time that I may not want to give during the day. Also, what if you are just beginning a business relationship with someone and they simply share too much in their social world and you get a serious case of TMI (too much information)? As with all of these social interactions there is a double-edged sword effect that can do great good and /or great harm all at once. So while there is potential here I think, like anything else, it will come down to personal preferences. What do you think?

Tags: explanation, facebook, find-it-takes, messenger, Microsoft, plugin, Social, time, windows
Posted July 13, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media

MySpace needs to find another company willing to pay them for the opportunity to advertise to their decreasing number of users. They need to do this at a time when their executive suite has installed a revolving door to more easily handle the traffic in and out of the offices. It also comes at a time when the best company MySpace can find itself in is in the major Internet property rehab wing with Yahoo! and Aol. So this is not the best situation to be in especially when you had cut a deal in 2006 with Google that should have brought $900 million to MySpace during the period where Google had the advertising exclusive with them. The Wall Street Journal reports News Corp. is in discussions with Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. about replacing MySpace’s crucial search-advertising partnership with Google, which expires next month, according to people familiar with the matter. In recent weeks, News Corp. has been discussing new, narrower advertising deals with Google and other companies, said the people familiar with the matter. People close to News Corp. said any new agreement will be for significantly less money. That would be a further financial challenge for MySpace, which has seen ad revenue slip. Google and Yahoo declined to comment. Now the rest of the article in the Wall Street Journal sounds like it comes from a company that owns MySpace and needs to find another advertising sucker partner. The article paints a picture of a valiant company that is doing everything to ‘capitalize’ on the apparent opening Facebook has left because of its security gaffes. It says the usual music, comedy and fashion mix will make the 35 and under crowd desire the new and improved MySpace. Well, if you want to read the advertorial you certainly can but it is very hard to imagine MySpace once again being at the top of the social media pile. What’s your take? Is this something that will fly? Neil Young once sang that it was better to burn out than to fade away. Don’t ya wish that MySpace would take his advice?

Tags: advertising, article, companies, facebook, financial, matter, Microsoft, people, Social, Social Media, street, Yahoo
Posted July 5, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media